The announcement of crop loan waiver by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has put the Bharatiya Janata Party on its toes. Within 24 hours of the move, BJP State president B.S. Yeddyurappa held a series of meetings and directed the party cadre to be poll-ready.
“I have been telling you for quite some time that elections are bound to be held in December. The crop loan waiver by the Congress government is one more indication of early polls. There is not much time left. I want all party workers and leaders to dedicate their entire time for party activities from now till the polls,” Mr. Yeddyurappa told a meeting of State office-bearers, presidents, and general secretaries of party district units here on Thursday.
He told them to ensure that at least 100 persons from each of the 224 Assembly constituencies work full time as organisational vistharakas (extension activists) for 15 days before July 25. Party workers will have to camp for these days in the districts assigned to them and work for the organisation. It is mandatory for ticket aspirants for the Assembly elections to work as vistharakas , he said.
He also asked them to bring prominent leaders, especially those from Dalit and backward communities, from other parties into the BJP fold. Mr. Yeddyurappa also told them to work towards enrolling those above 18 years in the voters’ list and take up with authorities the issue of removing “bogus” voters from the list.
Seeking to downplay the announcement of crop loan waiver, Mr. Yeddyurappa said it would be beneficial if the ceiling was increased from ₹50,000 to ₹1 lakh per family. Mr. Siddaramaiah had resorted to a “symbolic” waiver after being pressurised by the BJP as the party had planned a congregation of nearly 4 lakh farmers in support of a waiver, he said.
BJP MP and State general secretary Shobha Karandlaje told reporters that BJP national president Amit Shah would camp in Karnataka for three days, from August 3 to 5. He will stay in Belagavi for a day and Bengaluru for two days to interact with party cadre.
The day also saw Vishwakarma community leader and businessman K.P. Nanjundi joining the BJP on Thursday after quitting the Congress.
